Archive for June, 2010

What’s For Dinner? Mark Menjivar wants to know. His curiosity about the eating habits of his fellow humans fueled a photography project that speaks volumes the twenty-first century hunter-gatherer. In home after home, he performed that age-old ritual of opening wide the refrigerator door , hoping to find something good, something that beckons. Be he wasn’t looking for something to eat; he wanted to document this semi-private domestic space to capture in time the contents of the refrigerator as a testament to how we live and what we live on. It was, as one of his subjects suggested, like asking someone to pose nude.

“Each fridge is photographed “as is,” says Menjivar, No funny business is at play here, and it’s all on display….To read the full article: check online with Orion Magazine to purchase the September’09 back issue.

To see more of Mark’s study of Americans on display via the fridge, see more fridge images on his website.Thanks for Mark Menjivar for letting us reproduce his two images here on MSI’s blog.

The Swiss family Schwörer and their companions on the TOPtoTOP Global Climate Expedition have successfully completed their project to clean up Everest Base Camp. Unfortunately, expedition leader Dario Schwörer didn’t manage to reach the summit of the “Roof of the World”.

As already reported, for the last seven years the Mammut-sponsored TOPtoTOP expedition has been traveling all over the world, from Switzerland to Everest Base Camp, freeing our environment from discarded rubbish. The family used carbon-neutral forms of transport, such as walking, cycling or sailing, to reach their destination. Read the rest of this article at Mammut.ch

Dutton has published Americans Who Tell The Truth, the book of the first fifty portraits in this series printed in beautiful color with short biographies and an essay by Robert Shetterly about the intent of the project. The book is suitable for all ages, but its target audience is middle and high school. We have published a free curriculum here on this website for teachers to be able to teach American history through the lives of these people.

This book has won the 2006 award of the International Reading Association for intermediate non-fiction. The Children’s Book Council has named Americans Who Tell the Truth a 2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Read more here

David Korten hit a chord with Agenda for a New Economy and its call for abolishing Wall Street. In his new revised and greatly expanded edition, David fleshes out his vision for a replacement—a decentralized economy based on resilient communities, local businesses, and ecological systems.

Greed is Out - Localism, In

Global greed is out. Local sharing is in. The Wall Street system failed us; this book is a great guide as we build the alternatives.

“… our economic crisis is, at its core, a moral crisis. Our economic institutions and rules, even the indicators by which we measure economic performance, consistently place financial values ahead of life values. They are brilliantly effective at making money for rich people. Our children, families, and communities, and natural systems of Earth have paid an intolerable price.”Read more on Korten at Yes Magazine

Dr Masaru Emoto is the scientist from Japan who is well known for his research and publications about the characteristics of water. Among other things, his research revealed that water physically responds to emotions. Many people have the predominantly angry emotion when we consider what is happening in the Gulf. And while justified in that emotion, we may be of greater assistance to our planet and its life forms if we sincerely, powerfully and humbly pray the prayer that Dr. Emoto, himself, has proposed.

Let’s give energy of love and gratitude to all the living creatures in Mexico Gulf by praying like this. To whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures ion Gulf of Mexico

I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.

Masaru Emoto
May, 9th 2010

We are not powerless. We are powerful. Our united energy, speaking this prayer daily…multiple times daily… can literally shift the balance of destruction that is happening.

We don’t have to know how…we just have to recognize that the power of love is greater than any other power active in the Universe today.

Mountain Spirit Institute is delighted to announce a benefit concert featuring Snatam Kaur with Guruganesha Singh. The Sacred Chant Concert will be at Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon NH on 1st September 2010. Tickets on sale now athttp://www.lebanonoperahouse.org/event.php?id=777

Snatam Kaur is one of the most popular New Age artists of our time, selling over 75,000 albums a year. An international favorite with fans across the globe, including North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the South Pacific, Snatam Kaur performs at over 100 venues each year, from the Bahamas to Singapore.

Snatam Kaur, whose father was a manager for the Grateful Dead, has an amazing ability to transform traditional chants into a contemporary sound that appeals to the modern ear yet awakens an ancient yearning in the soul. Ram Dass, celebrated author of Be Here Now, says that “in Snatam’s voice…there is purity, clarity, and love.”

Snatam’s CDs Prem, Shanti, LIVE In Concert and Liberation’s Door are setting the industry standard for excellence in New Age sacred music. Snatam Kaur embodies the Sikh message of strength through inner serenity. She brings music, yoga and meditation to the communities she visits, as well as to hospices, juvenile detention centers, and schools she visits along the way.

Ragged Mountain Equipment in Intervale, NH is doing good work. When I was climbing in the North Conway area, Rob Nadler and Cort Hansen were just starting the store in a small space behind the Intervale post office. They made their own chalk bags, ice axe leashes and a few polypro pullovers. Since then, they’ve grown the business to one of the best outdoor and retail outlets in the nation. They might not be the biggest, but in my opinion, one of the best. There’s always a good feeling when you go into their store.

In line with their values, there now contributing .50 cents from every sale of a Ragged Mountain made product over $25.00 retail cost to the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust (USVLT).

USVLT’s mission is to protect the cultural and scenic values of the Upper Saco River Valley by preserving land for farming, forestry, recreation and education. Founded in 2000, USVLT has helped preserve nearly 4,000 acres of open space here in the area. The same program is being used by some of the restaurants and B&B’s in the valley.

Says Cort, “I think we are the only retail/manufacturer doing this at this time. I think it is a great program to raise the awareness of local land conservation issues. ” He adds, “The customer has the choice at the register to opt out and save $.50. Very few have done so.”

Every garment has a hang tag explaining their mission. Says Cort, “We are in the process of expanding hang tags to all our existing inventory which is a major task I can inform you. New styles come through with the tags already on them.”

They’re up to more good. Adds Cort, “We also enrolled the Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring Foundation in the program as well. All ski trail passes sold here at the Touring Center include a $.50 contribution the USVLT. We are the only XC ski touring center participating in this program currently. I think this is vital to making all nordic skiers aware that almost 100% of the valley XC trails use private land which is not protected from development or alternative uses.”
Climber Henry Barber approached Ragged Mountain late last fall about their participating in this this program.

If you’d like to donate and help owners Rob and Cort with this worthwhile project, contact Cort at cort(at)raggedmountain.com

Even though the Bush Administration left Washington over a year ago, one of its most destructive public lands policies remains on the books: the tactic of opening wilderness-quality lands to mining, drilling, and off-road vehicles. Read the rest of this article

Observations, anecdotes, and ruminations from our family’s year of travel in Peru and Bolivia.
Lawrence Kovacs, is author of the blog FromPeruToYou. We worked at Pacific Crest Outward Bound in the North Cascades leading mountaineering trips. Since then he has become a father, a teacher, and from a look at his blog, a gifted photographer and writer.
Check out it out. You won’t be disappointed. Images from a unique angle, some of which show Lawrence’s sharp sense of humor, and stories of living in Cusco, show a man making the most of life as it comes his way. His attitude and gusto for life not only benefits his family, but the rest of us as well. As I wrote to him in a recent message, “After having lived off and on, and guided in Peru for over ten years, I got more insight into the country by reading your blog than I normally do in my travels there.” Thanks Lawrence. Keep up the good work and see you stateside sometime soon.

Peter Merrigan graced the Sunapee Community CoffeeHouse last night, closing our 2009/10 season for the summer. When he started playing “It’s a Wonderful World” written by Robert Thiele and George David Weiss, I couldn’t resist catching it on my little camera. Nice job Peter, and thanks again for playing and contributing your energy to the Sunapee Community CoffeeHouse. The audience loved it.